Vehicle heating/cooling systems typically employed separate heat exchangers for heating circuits and for cooling circuits. Providing the separate heat exchangers requires additional space and plumbing, including additional valves and conduits to direct the flow to the separate heat exchangers in the system.
This is a particular problem for vehicles such as hybrid vehicles that employ electric batteries to drive the vehicle. These electric batteries must be maintained within a narrow range of temperatures in order to keep them operating at peak efficiency and without damage.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved vehicle heating/cooling system in which a heat exchanger with a consolidated heating/cooling core is employed to reduce space and maintain temperatures at appropriate levels.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a consolidated heating/cooling core for the vehicle heating/cooling system.